A 27-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol was shot and killed during an attempt to end an hours-long standoff with an armed man in Grundy Center, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Saturday.
Sgt. Jim Smith, described as "a hero" by the head of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, was fatally shot while attempting to arrest Michael Thomas Lang, 41, of Grundy Center, authorities said.
Lang, who ran unsuccessfully for Grundy County sheriff in 2020, was charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $1 million cash bond. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the standoff and was hospitalized in critical condition, police said.